Red Sox's 'Toughest Decision' Could Result In Loss Of 21-Year-Old Speedster

More offseason deadlines are coming, and the Boston Red Sox have some tricky decisions to make this week.

By the end of the day on Tuesday, every team must protect eligible prospects if they don't want them included in the Rule 5 Draft pool. That draft, which takes place before the winter meetings next month, gives teams opportunities to poach prospects from other teams' farm systems, with the caveat that they must spend the entire year on the big-league roster.

Unlike some teams, the Red Sox's 40-man roster stands at 40 players right now. For every prospect they add, they'll need to designate someone for assignment, so they won't just be handing out spots left and right.

Will they make room for one of their most prized international signings despite his lack of proximity to the big leagues?

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Will Red Sox protect Miguel Bleis?

On Sunday, Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com identified 21-year-old outfielder Miguel Bleis as the Red Sox's "toughest Rule 5 draft decision" this year, as the Dominican-born speedster is currently rated as the No. 15 prospect in the Red Sox's system.

"Bleis is a center fielder with some of the best all-around tools in the system (plus raw power, speed and arm strength) but little consistent production in full-season ball. Signed for the largest bonus ($1.5 million) in Boston's 2020-21 international class, the Dominican native slashed .222/.300/.385 with 14 homers and 27 steals in 107 games between High-A and Double-A."

Though his numbers weren't fantastic this year, Bleis is a tantalizing talent, and the Red Sox invested big money in him, relatively speaking. It would have been shocking to see him let go a couple of years ago, so even if his stock has taken a bit of a hit, it feels early to give up.

The flip side of the argument is this: Maybe the Red Sox shouldn't protect Bleis, knowing that it would be risky, if not outright reckless, for a major league team to put him on the roster for the full season despite only having 30 games in Double-A to his name.

The Red Sox seem destined to retain No. 10 prospect David Sandlin as well, so if they want to keep Bleis as well, two players on the 40-man roster will need to be designated for assignment by Tuesday.

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